Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
August 24, 1943
Dear Aunty Clara,
I wrote two complete V-mails concerning the otherwise which I mentioned yesterday but I just haven't mailed it yet. The story is a long one and I explained it in detail but in brief the matter is that Censky and I have not been the best of friends for quite some time now although I have never before mentioned the fact. We reached a sort of flare up point yesterday which I think did us more good than harm. Ever since early this year I have been becoming more and more engrossed in living and the things of life until they reached a point inordinately out their scheme. In otherwords I began emerging from that shell I had withdrawn myself into when Clarence died. His death had shown me that what happens on earth is all so trivial and insignificant but as the months went by and the activity of the army wore down my resistance I began attaching more importance to worldly things. That is alright to a certain extent but not to the point where they mean everything. I will write and tell you the full details probably in addition to what I have already written but this much is certain and that is I am returning once again to the actual living out my philosophy of life. If some people decide to assert their ego upon others, what good is resistance if it ends in a permanent and irreparable rupture. The better course is to let the other have his way and by making the best of the situation keep life rolling on its smooth way. Because after we are dead and gone all those petty strifes and quarrels which beset us throughout our lives fade into nothingness and are meaningless. If that is the case, why even strife and quarrel in the first place, eh? I realize that this is just so much of a conglomeration of assorted thoughts and ideas which you will probably not be able to make head or tail out of but when hasn't philosophy been a mass of seemingly unintelligible thought. So for the time being, it is finis to that little subject.
It seems that it never rains but it pours because the entertainment is just streaming into our camp. Last night we had the excellent traveling theater unit and tonight we have a USO show with none other than a famous radio-screen star as a guest performer. It is none other than Lanny Ross who was one of the top flight singers back home. He is a first lieutenant and is not on tour of fighting fronts like other celebrities.
I received four V-mail letters this afternoon. Two were from you and two were from Uncle Jack. I'll not have time to answer right now because I have several comments I would like to make. Perhaps after the shows this evening there will still be time to dash of a letter or two. You see, this evening I am to be the operator and the USO show unit will follow the motion picture. The show for the evening is one which I have already seen, "The Meanest Man in the World".
This morning was just about one of the workingest mornings I have seen in a long long time. There were dozens of letters to type up, entries to be made in the Service Records, reports to be made up and various odds and ends to be taken care of. And besides all the work going on in the office itself, one bunch of clerks began tacking on the screening for our tent which, as I said before, now resembles a small one room building. Both the front and rear of the tent have this new type screening which looks like frosted glass. It keeps out wind and rain and mosquitoes but lets in light. The sides will be done up in the usual manner with regular screening. In addition to that hum of activity we put in the back door to the tent to make it look classier than ever.
This letter has turned into one of those races between the last line and the last man in the chow line, but as I have said before and will say again, I haven't ever lost the race yet.
I haven't received either the cablegram or the books as yet. And when I get either one of them I will write and tell you.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman